UN plan for next round of Syria talks likely on Friday – Makdissi

The head of a Syrian dissident group at peace talks in Geneva said on Friday (March 3) that the United Nations was likely to conclude eight days of negotiations later in the day and outline an agenda, format and date for the next round.

In eight days of talks, the warring sides have not negotiated face-to-face, but haggled over the agenda with de Mistura, who wants to discuss a new constitution, elections and reformed governance.

“We will leave it for the host to decide this. I believe today, at the end of the day, he might be doing a wrap up, a conclusion for this round,” Jihad Makdissi, the head of the Cairo Group told reporters after meeting with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

“I can say that yes we do have an agenda... the three baskets and possibly maybe a fourth one might be added. Time frame, yes there are some leaks, it's going to be in March but I leave it for the host to say,” he added.
 
The “baskets” refer to the topics to be discussed, and include a new constitution, elections and reformed governance. Syria's government wants to add a fourth on counter-terrorism.
 
“No discussions about any basket have started yet, I think this is left for the next round, what matters is to end with procedural issues,” said.
 
No breakthrough was promised at Syria peace talks, and no breakthrough has occurred. But as the first U.N.-led talks in almost a year neared their end on Friday, neither side has walked away and both claim small wins.
 
De Mistura held another meeting with the main Syrian opposition delegation lead by Nasr al-Hariri and was also expected to meet the Syrian government delegation headed by Bashar al-Ja'afari, later on Friday.
 
The scope of the negotiation is much narrower than a year ago, when de Mistura also had to hear demands for a ceasefire and release of prisoners. A shaky ceasefire has been in place since December and separate talks in Kazakhstan, sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran, are dealing with military matters.

Past peace efforts have failed, often as a fractured opposition succumbed to pressure from events on the battlefield, having failed to penetrate Ja'afari's steely intransigence.

The latest round rode out the fallout from a militant attack on two security offices in the city of Homs last Saturday that killed dozens and which de Mistura said was a deliberate attempt to derail the talks.

 

REUTERS